Universal Studios Hollywood is gearing up to get its first-ever high speed outdoor roller coaster with Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in 2026—based, of course, on the Fast & Furious franchise. The release sent out by Universal Parks shared the coaster will “elevate the guest experience with innovative and technological achievements never previously employed in a roller coaster.”
What’s exciting is that before now, the theme park—which operates above a working movie studio—seemed reluctant to add a major thrill ride outside in case the noise and screams rang loudly enough to interrupt productions below. Universal Studios shared that it’ll be utilizing a “state-of-the-art ride system” that is “being uniquely designed to immerse guests within the high-speed Fast & Furious universe. Highlights will include groundbreaking 360-degree rotation of the individual ride vehicles as they rocket along an elaborate track meticulously constructed with sound reduction technology for a breathtaking, superior experience.” With smoother and more technologically advanced ride systems, coasters don’t make the clunky, abrasive sounds that wooden coasters once did. A few months back, Universal Studios even tested loud screams from rides (presumably from its coaster-heavy East Coast counterpart Universal Orlando) to see if they affected production from the planned areas on which Hollywood Drift will sit.
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So now with the studio expanding out in the lower lot and more attractions coming in, like Super Nintendo World, room has been made to sandwich Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift on the top portion of the lot primarily over the hill, where the demolished Special Effects and Universal’s Animal Actors stages once were. Guests will enter the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift queue on the upper lot of Universal Studios Hollywood within a red-brick, garage-style structure before getting into the ride vehicles, which are modeled after several cars featured in the Fast & Furious films. Another exciting feature is that the coaster tech will make you feel like you’re on the road with the drive of Dom Toretto and the Fast family by “catapulting along an aerial track that winds its way over parts of the theme park.” It will “create a seamless sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at furiously fast speeds.” It already sounds much more exciting than the studio tram’s Fast & Furious: Supercharged 3D 360 experience.
Scott Strobl, executive vice president and general manager of Universal Studios Hollywood, said in the release, “As a premier entertainment theme park destination with a rich history in immersing guests in incredible rides based on today’s most inspiring movie, television, and gaming properties, we are excited to introduce our very first, high-speed outdoor roller coaster.” He added, “As Universal Studios Hollywood continues to evolve, the arrival of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will be a powerful game changer that will infuse a new level of thrill into our already dynamic theme park, and we look forward to welcoming guests when it races onto the scene in 2026.”
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Getting the chance to pull up on a Fast & Furious heist adventure and maybe grabbing some Corona beer in the park after is something you can count us in for.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will open in 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood.
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